The theological journey I was on is over. I needed to find a place of being where I wasn’t stressed out by the metaphysical. I am now in a place of communion with God unhindered by the Charismatic Conservative Evangelical theological system I was immersed in for the first 35 years of my life.
The comments of those still in that system no longer bother me. I don’t need to argue anymore. I know what I believe and I believe that that belief is acceptable to the great infinite and eternal.
I see the struggle of those around me trying to make sense of it all and I’ve seen a couple of people enter into a different kind of awareness on this. Eddie of Grace Unzipped is one such person. Steve of Free Thinking Faith is someone who I suspect is close. Jeff and Dorsey I don’t think have the same demons to defeat and are on a different journey. Bruce of YBMT? I think is ahead of me, as are some of the commenters here.
One thing that propelled me to this place was the compelling desire born out of pondering the above question.
So what is your answer and what is your question?
20 comments:
Thank you for this post. I am right there with you. Blogging has been a great release and a time of building friendships. We've had opportunity to meet several blog friends and it's been wonderful.
I totally understand what you are saying and the answer in my opinion is "ENJOY."
Maybe it isn't a "demon" but a rejection of Truth? Maybe we shouldn't teach another Gospel than the one preached? dh
So I guess do we need a question? Why refer to it as a demon? Maybe it is a "God's way is greater than our way" understanding that you are rejecting? Just because it doesn't make sense in the natural doesn't make it wrong and also maybe there is a validity in the explainations that you are rejecting due to the mind being in the way. Just something to think about. One mustn't reject something just because it is Charismatic, Evangelical and the like. Sounds like you are rejecting outright things that are Truth (not that Evangelical is 100% but you get the point). dh
My life is resting in the arms of the One who is the source of my spirit and the creator of my life. I am experiencing the depths of the most incredible peace I have ever known. I am enjoying the amazing love of the One who loves me more than He even loves Himself. I share life with Him, the maker of it all... and it is good.
dh, I hope that you can someday know how many tears have been cried for you... tears of love and joy for your sweet spirit known by God as "the one I love".
Hey D
That journey for me is over thankfully over as well. It doesn’t matter in that sense, and the demon was the system itself. You are home free once you know how to transcend it, once you realize that you alone hold the keys to the prison door. At the heart of who I am are the quests for wisdom and the infatuation for compassion. Without it they can bury me already.
On a side note, I am thrilled to read about the new turn of events, and I truly desire tranquility and happiness for you.
Bruce I know God loves all people but I also know that not all people will get to heaven. "If you deny Me I will deny you before My Father in heaven." or "Except a man be Born Again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." I understand Grace but I also understand that people reject Christ in so doing reject the Grace made available to all. Not all people will enter into the Grace by accepting Christ as their one and only Savior (In light of "I am the Way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father but through Me.") So there is wisdom to know that all of us before accepting Christ deserve death by our sin but that by accepting, believeing and having Faith in His death and resurrection, that Jesus is fully God and there are no other gods but the one True God, confess you are a sinner and give your heart, soul and mind (our entire lives) to Christ then one has "eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Bruce I too am experiencing the greatest peace I could ever imagine. I pray for "As many as receive to them He gave the power to become sons of God." "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and Believe in your heart that God has risen from the dead you shall be saved." "For there is no other way that you must be saved." This Salvation is freeing, peaceful and everything you mentioned Bruce. I trust and pray that anyone read this will do the same or has done the same. This isn't a system but Scripture that states how one enters the Kingdom of God. I too have compassion in that message of the cross is Grace made available to all who accept it by Faith in Him. "Without Faith it is impossible to please God." in conjuction with "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."
Thank you Jesus that I by Faith received your Grace by accepting the Salvation gift by giving my entire being to you. I pray others will understand by Faith that there is no other way to enter the Kingdom of God but by receiving Salvation made available to all. dh
dh, you deny Christ.
You deny that He is the one that the prophets of old forsaw.
You deny that He fulfilled the prophets and the psalms, who said that One would come to redeem creation to the Father.
You deny that the Father made peace with His creation through the work of the cross.
You deny Christ.
I don't deny Christ for I too Believe that He came to redeem creation to the Father by making the way. Did you read my verses that refer to people denying Christ and how that affects them entering the Kingdom. All of those Scriptures I referenced were the words of Christ. He made peace by making the Grace available to all. God has done everything all He askes is to "open the door" like the Scripture I mentioned. He has done all the work needed. With a gift analogy he has obtained the perfect gift for each one of us and wrapped it. All we have to do is open the gift by Faith. Accepting Christ is not equivilent to the law. I have never said that people are saved due to the law. I will say that the law shows that we are nothing without Him in that "All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." but "For by Grace are you saved THROUGH FAITH and that not of yourselves, not of works lest anyone should boast." "Without Faith it is impossible to please God." "Abraham's Faith was accounted unto him as righteousness." He has redeemed creation by making the only way for Salvation by Faith in Christ. For without Christ making the way creation in its entirty would be eternally unredeemed. I also have always mentioned that God was the fulfillment of the prophets prophecy of the Messiah. The thing is not everyone is going to accept Christ and some will reject Christ and Christ not me says that "If you deny Me I will deny you before My Father in heaven." This implies that not every single person will be redeemed. dh
It isn't all that I have done. Also, it isn't me knocking but Christ knocking. Have you read the passage "Behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone opens the door I will come into Him and sup with Him and he with Me." or "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and Believe in your heart that God has risen from the dead you shall be saved." "Ask and it shall be given unto you seek and ye shall find knock and the door shall be opened."
It is way more God toward us but there is the small thing of us accepting by Faith.
Dh
P.S. You are right it isn't me but what God says. It isn't about what I think about this but what God says. God did everything but our acceptence. Even Jeff said this "and more to do with simple acceptance".
But, you haven't accepted Him at all. You deny that He is the savior foretold by the Prophets. You deny that He fulfilled the law and emilimated sin once and for all. You believe that Adam's fall brought sin into the world, but you deny that Christ's sacrifice drove sin from our midst. How can you say "you accept Him"?
What I'm trying to say, Bro... is give up trying to have a part in your reconciliation to God, and just enjoy what He has done for us! Quit looking at yourself, and what you have done, and look to Christ, and smile at what He has done!
I have never denied Christ as being the Savior fortold by the prophets. God did do away with sin by making a way of Salvation for us. If sin is totally done away with and we can sin without any reprocussion, then why would Paul talk about the sin nature so much and that by Faith in Christ we overcome the punishment of sin. Even the Bible says "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." or why would if sin is totally done away with would the NT say "If you confess your sins He is able and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This scripture states that we must confess our sins doesn't it?
I have accepted Him "If YOU confess with YOUR mouth the Lord Jesus and (understood you) Believe with YOUR heart that God has risen from the dead YOU shall be saved."
I thank God everyday that He seeked me out and at the same time I accept Him by Faith. "Without Faith it is impossible to please God" or "Abrahams Faith was accounted unto him as righteousness." Right now I'm smiling at what God has done for me like you said and I truly am enjoying what God has done in relation to these things. These 30 years being a Christian have been the best it could possibly be. I truly know I didn't deserve it for it was by Grace through Faith. We agree except for the accept part. God isn't going to force all people to accept Him. Look at Pharoah and all the times God wanted him to worship Him. Something to think about. DH
OK, dh. Good life to you!
DM, sorry to highjack your thread. My passion for freedom in Christ got ahold of me. Thanks for understanding...
Me too my passion for freedom in Christ got the hold of me as well. dh
Yes, me too.
actually I really don't believe either of you on that last point.. in my halucination I think that is merely your BS and not anything to do with a passion for freedom in Christ at all.. so ;oPP... hehe..
acceptance and peace
DM
Uh oh, I think he's onto us!
Weird stuff, another debate with Bruce about theology...and again spliting heirs over hell. I have to say one thing, I am probably closer in agreement to the author than with Bruce, for some odd reason. I guess it's about hell. I have a tough time seeing people going to hell, but then again I have an even tougher time saying it wasn't mentioned when it was. Either way, one proports to say there is no hell and one says there is, bottom line, neither of has the right to judge someone's life anyways...so to hell with it.
Oops. Darn it I missed it. Next time someone is splitting hair or heirs please tell me first so I can watch the battle. Nothing like a good fight to get the old testestorone level's up is there?
Peace -- DM
Oops. Darn it I missed it. Next time someone is splitting hair or heirs please tell me first so I can watch the battle. Nothing like a good fight to get the old testestorone level's up is there?
Peace -- DM
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